Dan Way’s latest Carolina Journal article highlights the huge demand for charter school seats in North Carolina. Joel Medley, director of the Office of Charter Schools at the NC Department of Public Instruction, reported that well over 29,000 children remained on charter wait lists last year. Thousands more will be added this year.
The truth is that demand began to build around a decade ago, but the Democratic leaders of the NC General Assembly refused to ease or lift restrictions on charter growth. (Special interest groups and advocacy organizations had a lot to do with their decision.) Despite increasing demand, state-imposed growth restrictions forced charter schools to keep tens of thousands of kids on waiting lists.
Last year, the Republican-led General Assembly eased limits on yearly growth and lifted the 100-school cap on charter schools. Unfortunately, it will take several years of growth to put a dent in waiting lists statewide. Even the approval of seven “fast-track” charters, which will begin operation later this year, will do little to meet parental demand for charter seats.
Parents who have been unable to secure a seat for their children have every reason to be disappointed or upset, but changes to the charter law should give them something they never had before – hope.
